"Emilia Perez," the French film starring Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña, and Karla Sofía Gascón, is one of the year's most buzzed-about films. France's Oscar committee has decided to support the film in full, selecting it to be the country's submission at this year's Academy Awards, placing it in the running for best international feature film.
"Emilia Perez" is spoken mostly in Spanish and premiered earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received one of the longest-standing ovations and won the Jury Prize. It also won a best actress prize for its ensemble cast, including Gascón, Saldaña, Gomez, and Adriana Paz. It was directed by Jacques Audiard, a beloved French filmmaker who has previously won awards at Cannes for his film "Dheepan." He was also nominated for an Oscar for the film "A Prophet."
The deadline for Oscar submissions is November 14. The shortlist of best international film contenders will be announced on December 17th. Nominations will be announced next year on January 17, with the Oscars scheduled for March 2nd.
More details about 'Emilia Perez'
© GettyImages"Emilia Perez" is a film that follows a Mexican drug lord (Gascón) who contacts a lawyer to help her acquire gender-affirming surgery.
Gomez has expressed how excited she is to be involved in such an artful and special film, sharing a video of herself crying after learning the news that she'd been offered the part.
"When I read it, I thought it was wild," said Gomez in an interview with Deadline. "I thought it was beautiful. I cried and when I did the audition, Jacques didn't know much about me, which I really appreciated because I feel as if he could see me as a blank canvas."
"And he really allowed me to help mold this character. I'm so deeply appreciative and honored to be a part of such a beautiful movie."
